I just read about work with children in DR: http://www.dr1.com/blogs/?u=barhanna. Do I need to speak Spanish to do it? Where do I find more information?
It helps a lot - but no. The posted site above is a church-based organization. There are those and also those not church-based all over. Choose carefully and stay away from those asking for money.
You could check out Island Impact. They offer mobile medical clinics in and around Sosua and are usually looking for volunteers. They are faith-based, but this is not a prerequisite to helping out!
You might also enjoy spending a day with Jim and Sue at Dominican Ministry. They operate a feeding program for abandoned women and children and deliver food twice a week.
It a cool idea to give your time and energy to something useful and learn about the country at the same time. It will probably improve my Spanish Thanks for the info!